Pointers: Recommended reading 10-27-08

Oct 24, 2008

Advice for the next presidentSource: ComputerworldInformation technology bigwigs, concerned about the United States’ ability to compete in the global market, urge the next administration to invest more money in long-term research.

For example, Ed Lazowska, professor of computer science and engineering at the University of Washington, calls for the federal government to double its investment in fundamental research during a 10-year period.Computerworld talked to eight other high-tech luminaries, including Internet pioneer Vinton Cerf, who suggested increased funding for weather data collection, analysis and prediction to cope with effects of global warming.

Mobile tech: It’s personalSource: Center for Technology in GovernmentGovernment agencies seeking to deploy mobile technology should heed their employees’ personal preferences, according to a report from the Center for Technology in Government.

For example, new laptop computers will not necessarily make employees more productive if they live or frequently work in areas with unreliable connectivity, the report states. And employees who ride crowded trains or buses to work might not feel comfortable using expensive equipment.

“Taking into consideration individualities when selecting a technology can also help with buy-in and acceptance,” the report states.

Online wins match with paperSource: E-Government Bulletin LiveThe people of Redbridge, a borough of London, have spoken: Online beats paper when it comes to communicating with government.

Earlier this year, the Redbridge Council invited people to share their thoughts about the council’s spending priorities. The council created an online budget simulator for people to use but also sent a paper form to every house.

The state of the blogosphereSource: TechnoratiThe blog is not the distinct medium it once was, according to the State of the Blogosphere 2008, recently published by Technorati.

As “the Blogosphere grows in size and influence, the lines between what is a blog and what is a mainstream media site become less clear,” Technorati says. “Larger blogs are taking on more characteristics of mainstream sites and mainstream sites are incorporating styles and formats from the Blogosphere.”

Technorati also found that the most popular blog topic was news, with music and video a distant second and third.

The report also offers up this little factoid: “Sarah Palin had more tagged posts than Obama or McCain after her speech at the Republican National Convention.”